Study: Obesity Could Be Over 40% By 2030
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – If Americans believed their battle of the bulge was improving; new projections from Duke University researchers paint a dark picture in America's fight against obesity.
Duke researchers found that if Americans continue gaining weight at the current pace, 42 percent of Americans could be obese by 2030, with 11 percent of those being severely obese.
Currently, 36 percent of adults were obese, or 30 pounds over a healthy weight, while six percent were severely obese, which is one hundred pounds over a healthy weight.
The biggest problem the growing obesity risk could have is on the health care industry. Being obese can lead to a multitude of health issues including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea and other illnesses that could cost consumers billions.
Experts from the CDC had previously found that medical-related costs of obesity may be as high as $147 billion, or roughly $1,400 extra for obese people.
According to USA Today, if the obesity rate stays at 2010 levels instead of rising to 42 percent, the country could save more than half a trillion dollars in medical costs.
